(No Date) Silver Civil War Store Card F-750O-2f, H. Mulligan PA

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,040 MS63 10-14-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

H. Mulligan of Pennsylvania produced this token as a cent substitute during the wartime coin shortage. Pennsylvania was the Union's industrial heartland, with Philadelphia as a manufacturing center and Pittsburgh as an iron and steel producer. With 3 known varieties, H. Mulligan produced a modest number of token types. Struck in silver, this die combination (Fuld 750O-2f) is rare. This undated piece entered commerce during the 1862-1864 period when millions of private tokens replaced vanished federal coinage. Professional die sinkers like John Stanton, Benjamin True, and William Bridgens supplied dies to merchants across the Northern states. Federal coinage vanished from circulation after 1861 as citizens hoarded silver and copper for their metal value, leaving merchants to fill the void with tokens. Silver examples were struck in small quantities, often for collectors or as special orders.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings are considerably scarcer than base metal versions, typically produced in small quantities for collectors or as special presentation pieces. With 3 cataloged varieties, H. Mulligan was a limited producer of Civil War tokens.

Cross References

Fuld 750O-2f